samkerr.jpg
Getty Images

Women's World Cup hosts Australia aim for their deepest-ever run at the tournament but face a France team that feel like a dark horse contender for the whole thing. Both teams stumbled early on in the tournament, but are peaking at the right time and fully have their eyes on the prize. Saturday's quarterfinal also serves as perhaps the most serious test for both teams yet -- both teams have gone largely untested since the early days of the group stage but offer plenty of attacking quality to stump the opposition.

One thing Australia has that France does not, though, is home-field advantage. The Matildas have played in front of packed stadiums throughout the tournament and are capturing the hearts and minds for those who could not snag a ticket by setting viewership records. Nearly 2.3 million people watched the team's round of 16 win over Denmark on television alone, which was the largest audience for free-to-air channel Seven all year.

Here's what you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch and odds

  • Date: Saturday, Aug. 12 | Time: 3 a.m. ET
  • Location: Lang Park -- Brisbane, Australia
  • TV: Fox | Live stream: fubo (Try for free), Fox Sports app
  • Odds: Australia +255; Draw +205; France +114

How they got here

Australia: The Matildas struggled at first with a narrow 1-0 victory over Ireland and a 3-2 loss to Nigeria, but the hosts are finding their form at just the right time. In the absence of Sam Kerr with a calf injury, Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso have stepped up to fill in the attacking gaps and led Australia to a victorious approach without their star striker. Kerr made a brief cameo in the round of 16 match, which implies that she will be involved against France at some point. Whether that's from the start or from the bench is yet to be seen, but she bolsters her team's chances regardless.

France: Since the team's commanding 2-1 win over Brazil in the group stage, France's quest for a first Women's World Cup title has been full steam ahead. Les Bleues have scored 12 goals en route to the quarters and forward Kadidiatou Diani has come up big along the way. She has four goals and three assists so far and leads the tournament in the second category. France's veterans have also come in clutch from an attacking standpoint throughout, namely Eugenie Le Sommer and Wendie Renard. There are questions about France's defensive strengths, though -- it has not been tested much, though they conceded four goals in the group stage, including three to Panama. It could be an anomaly but also potentially a sign of weakness in front of Australia's attack.

Prediction

This will be an entertaining, high-stakes encounter that just might deliver the only upset of the round. Count on Australia's home-field advantage and Kerr's return from injury to give them the slight edge that will see them through to their first World Cup semifinal ever. Pick: Australia 2, France 1